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"Using the NewTek TriCaster in house here at EMC2 enables us to make a television quality production with a very limited crew." – David Ross, Senior Manager EMC2 TV EMC2, a multinational corporation in the data storage, cloud computing industry...

2-Minute Tutorial: How to Use the Hardware Inputs in TriCaster Advanced Edition

One of the first tasks to do when setting up a TriCaster is to plug in cameras and set up the switcher to use those physical inputs as video sources for your production. For this tutorial, our demonstrator will go through the process of configuring the physical inputs, and then assigning them to the switcher’s virtual inputs, which are completely flexible with respect to what video source, whether on a physical connector on the system or coming over the network as an IP source, is assigned to them.

In the Monitoring section of the TriCaster UI, mouse over a Switcher Input monitor and double-click on it, and the Input Configuration panel for that Input will open. In the video, our demonstrator opens the panel for Switcher Input 1. When a local hardware source is in use, there is a Configure button (a gear icon) present by the Source selection field. Our demonstrator clicks the gear, which opens the Hardware Configuration panel. This panel allows the operator to set up all of the physical inputs on the TriCaster. To differentiate these physical inputs from the Switcher’s assignable virtual Inputs, these are labeled simply “IN” on the UI, and 1 through 4 or 1 through 8, depending on the number of physical inputs on your TriCaster model.

The default setting for the video format is “Auto-Detect (SDI)” or Auto-Detect (HDMI)” depending on the model TriCaster. This will auto-detect the characteristics of the video coming into that connector if that video is the specified format, SDI or HDMI. If your TriCaster has other connection types available, such as composite or component, then you may need to use the pulldown menu to select the proper format and resolution.

The Hardware Configuration Panel also lets you select the audio source that is to be used with the video from that physical input, and you can adjust the audio levels as well, directly on the panel.

Once you have set up the hardware INs properly, then you use the Source pulldown menu from the Input Configuration panel to assign a hardware IN to a Switcher Input. In the video, the demonstrator shows that the pulldown shows the sources available on the TriCaster you are operating at the top of the listings as “Local.” In the video, he selects IN 1 to assign to Input 1, IN 2 to assign to Input 2, and IN 3 to assign to Input 3.